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Johnson aiming for greatest season ever by Auburn QB

Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson celebrates with Auburn wide receiver Melvin Ray after Ray scored a touchdown on a pass from Johnson during the first half of the SEC football game between Auburn and Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014.(Photo: Albert Cesare / Advertiser)Buy Photo

AUBURN – Records are made to be broken and Jeremy Johnson is aiming to do what no other quarterback has accomplished in Auburn history.

The Montgomery native told the SEC Network he wants "at least throw for 3,000 yards and also rush for 1,000" in the fall, a feat achieved by only five quarterbacks in NCAA history, most recently by Johnny Manziel.

"Now that my time is here I'm looking very forward to the season and doing big things," Johnson told the SEC Network.

Incredible aims permeate throughout the program.

Wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig fully expects Johnson and wide receiver D'haquille Williams to lead a vaunted passing attack that could challenge his all-time single season program record of 3,277 passing yards.

"Expecting some big things from those two guys, probably break all the passing records this year, break all of my records, but that's fine," Craig said. "I told (offensive coordinator) Rhett (Lashlee) every time a passing record gets broken it's still my record because I coached the receivers. … That's not a lot of yards. I've thrown 3,000 yards, I've done it a couple of times in my career. Overseas over in (NFL) Europe, done it at Auburn, that's not a lot of yards.

"Those numbers are not numbers that I don't think are not obtainable."

Since Craig's record setting season in 1997 Auburn has had four quarterbacks top 2,500 passing yards in a season, including three in Gus Malzahn's Hurry-Up, No-Huddle offense, with Nick Marshall throwing for 2,532 yards last season. Only Cam Newton, whose Heisman Trophy winning season in 2010 was one of the greatest ever by a college quarterback, also rushed for over 1,000 yards while having such a prolific passing season.

Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said Johnson is "capable" of producing at Newton's level, but since the quarterback position is still technically a "race," he "needs to worry about winning the job" before aiming for records.

"I do like that you set high goals for yourself; that's what you want," Lashlee said. "You don't want a guy saying man I throw form 1,000 yards and rush for 10. He's capable. Jeremy – and I believe this about a lot of our guys – they can reach a lot of high goals if they want to. There's a lot of work that's going to go into that."

While Marshall was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in college football the last two seasons, Johnson has attempted just 11 rushed for 40 yards in his career, making a 1,000 yards seem implausible at best.

Lashlee said the 6-foot-5 230 pound Johnson is able to run the zone read, but lacks Marshal's ability to get out of a bad decision.

"He's just got to read it appropriately, but when he does, he's going to gain yards," Lashlee said. "He's shown that in spring ball. … What he can't do is be wrong and make it right as much, on the perimeter. Jeremy is a lot better North-South."

Johnson threw for 436 yards with three touchdowns and had a rushing score in limited action last season. His 243 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of the season opener against Arkansas, the most meaningful action of his career, has many on the Plains feeling very optimistic about the passing attack heading into the fall.

In order to reach such astounding statistics Auburn will need to continue to take shots deep downfield.

A recent ESPN story mischaracterized the offense's objective as eight completions of over 30 yards per game, which would shatter NCAA records by an almost video game-esque margin – the most passing plays of 30-plus yards over the last five years was Baylor's 45 in 2012.

Lashlee clarified, saying Auburn's goal is to attempt eight such plays, with the hope of succeeding as much as possible.

"If you call eight plays vertically over 25-30 yards down the field, if you hit half of them, that's four either touchdowns or big explosive plays," Lashlee said. "Then the ones you don't hit there's a good chance you've backed the defense up, now you're making them defend the whole field.

"That's a goal, is we want to have eight or more vertical shots. Doesn't mean we hit all eight of them, then if we do that's great, let's break records."